Contract looming, Mike Green must excel

Bruce Bennet/Getty ImagesMike Green faces an uncertain future due to his contract status.

With less than six minutes remaining in Saturday's Game 4, Washington Capitals defenseman Mike Green changed the course of the Eastern Conference semifinals. He took a pass from Dennis Wideman during a Capitals power play, recognized the time he had and utilized it by crushing a huge slap shot that beat Henrik Lundqvist.

The Capitals won 3-2, evening the series at two games, and Green provided a glimpse of the player who was once the most electrifying defenseman in the game. It was his first point against the Rangers and his second goal in 11 playoff games. Before scoring against Boston in Game 6 of the first round, Green hadn't scored since October. Injuries cut the heart out of Green's regular season again, as he played in only 32 games after seeing just 49 the season before.

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ABOUT THIS BLOG

Craig Custance

Craig Custance joined ESPN in September 2011 as an NHL reporter for ESPN the Magazine, ESPN Insider and ESPN.com. A graduate of Michigan State University, he lived for nearly a decade in Georgia working for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution where he spent time covering the late Atlanta Thrashers. He was the only Thrashers beat writer to get the team to the playoffs.

From 2008-11 he was the national hockey writer for the Sporting News, writing regularly in print and online. A member of the PHWA, he's a proud voter for the major NHL awards and can occasionally defend his selections.

Like hockey, he left Atlanta to return north where he currently lives in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, with his wife Cassie and their three kids.